OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sage Institute for Psychedelic Therapy today announced that founding Executive Director Genesee Herzberg, PsyD, and Jason Butler, PhD, the Institute's training director and also a co-founder, have left the organization to pursue other professional interests and opportunities. With Dr. Herzberg’s departure, the executive committee of the board of directors has assumed her responsibilities, with the assistance of a skilled non-profit executive. The team has started a search for a new full-time director and is currently in the final stages of recruiting an experienced interim training director.
In early 2021, Dr. Herzberg and the board had agreed that her objective would be to refocus on the clinical domain and other significant efforts in the field by the end of the year. Dr. Herzberg is also one of the owners of Sage Integrative Health, a for-profit therapy clinic, separate from Sage Institute, and a clinician on the MAPS MDMA Phase III Clinical Trials.
“Sage Institute would not have been able to accomplish all that it has without Genesee’s determination, visionary leadership and many sacrifices,” said Kat Conour, Sage Institute’s board chair. “We are deeply indebted for all she has done to help make psychedelic-assisted therapy accessible to all who can benefit.”
During Dr. Herzberg’s tenure, Sage Institute has grown to provide care at significantly reduced rates for more than 150 clients per month. Fifty-seven percent of the organization’s clients identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color; 66 percent identify as LGBTQIA+; and 80 percent have an annual income of less than $30,000. Since the doors opened in August 2019, Sage Institute has hired three cohorts of intern therapists and provided one public training for licensed clinicians, increasing accessibility of psychedelic therapy training to more diverse communities.
“Sage Institute is one of the only sliding-scale, psychedelic-assisted therapy clinics in the country right now, and we’re incredibly proud of that. We’re grateful to Genesee and Jason for playing such pivotal roles in the organization, and we’re excited to continue growing our impact from here,” said Conour.
Visit the Sage Institute jobs page for information on open positions, including the executive director role.
About Sage Institute for Psychedelic Therapy, Inc.
Sage Institute provides high-quality training and accessible psychedelic therapy, fostering effective and culturally responsive mental health treatment for underserved communities. The organization’s management and staff imagine a world where people from all backgrounds have access to cutting-edge, affordable, and holistic health care that supports healing of the body, mind, spirit, community, and environment. Sage Institute is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization. Learn more at SageInst.org.
